After the overall story concluded, Chris IV’s army prepared to march.
On one side, 20,000 troops led by Mansfeld and Christian had taken their positions.
This army had been strengthened with Chris IV’s support, making it more powerful than Mansfeld’s original mercenary group.
Although there was still a lingering unease in the hearts of Mansfeld and Christian, they thought they had secured a kind of insurance for this operation.
“It’s not completely reassuring, but avoiding a head-on confrontation with General Tilly is a fortunate turn of events.”
“I share the same sentiment. Facing that veteran general is far more daunting than dealing with some fresh-faced rookie. If worse comes to worst, we could always retreat.”
According to their pre-prepared battle plan, they were not to engage directly with General Tilly’s troops.
Their assigned role—precisely, the one they had secured—was to strike the flanks of the Imperial Army.
The commander there was not General Tilly but rather someone not widely known from the battlefield.
“Was it Valenshtein? I heard he became a general by gifting an enormous sum of money to the Emperor. A fight led by such a person is bound to be predictable.”
“I wouldn’t say we should let our guard down, but he surely poses less danger than General Tilly. If that’s the case, even if Chris IV’s main force gets decimated, we can still profit and escape.”
A parachute officer whose position was bought with money and lacking experience.
Just hearing that name gave them an estimate of the situation, so they confidently began their advance.
“The enemy’s position is on the other side of Elbe River. Crossing Dessau Bridge will allow us to march straight into their defenses.”
“The Elbe… With the river being a bit wider, we should still exercise caution during the crossing.”
“The sun is setting. Once darkness falls, we’ll swiftly cross under the cover of night. Leading with cavalry will allow us to penetrate the enemy’s defenses in no time.”
“I understand. Let’s proceed with that plan.”
Generally, attacking across a river presents risks to the attacking side, but Mansfeld felt relatively confident.
It was spring, so the water levels weren’t high, and crucially, reports from scouts indicated that the enemy wasn’t paying much attention to securing the bridge and the river.
If they acted quickly under the cover of darkness, they believed they could win without suffering major losses.
With this strategy in mind, Mansfeld’s army set their actions in motion.
A little later, not long after, Mansfeld and Christian’s troops arrived near the Elbe River.
There, Mansfeld immediately ordered scouts to assess the current situation.
“What’s the enemy’s status?”
“It’s quiet. There are maybe one or two soldiers guarding the bridge, and we see no other enemy forces.”
“Good. Then we’ll march right away. We’ll cross the bridge and engage the enemy.”
“Understood, troops! Advance!”
And thus, the soldiers began to mobilize swiftly toward the bridge under Mansfeld’s command.
Before them, as reported, stood only a handful of enemies, posing little danger.
At least… it appeared that way.
*
With a determined advance, Chris IV started his march.
In his sights, the increasingly disorderly Imperial Army was clearly visible.
From an attacking standpoint, there couldn’t be a better opportunity.
So Chris IV confidently issued the march command.
“O brave warriors of Mark! Sweep away the enemies right now! According to the Will of God, decimate the fallen church’s minions!”
“Woahhh!!!”
“March!”
“By the Will of the Lord, let’s exterminate those wicked brutes!”
As Chris IV’s exhortation spurred them into rapid advancement, the soldiers of Mark quickly mobilized.
Their numbers reached an astounding 30,000, equipped with many mages and dozens of cannons.
Thinking they could firmly sweep away the enemies with such a powerful force, Chris IV’s army charged forward with high morale toward the Imperial Army’s fortifications on the low hill.
At that moment…
-Bang!-
“!? Wh-What is that?”
“What’s happening?”
A sudden, deafening explosion from behind startled Chris IV, confusion taking over his face in an instant.
What came into view was a massive fire erupting from the rear.
Overwhelmed with confusion about this incomprehensible fact, Chris IV asked his subordinate.
“Wh-What’s going on? What is that flame?”
“That… that’s where our main force is. But… why is that happening…?”
Chris IV and his troops began to panic at the unexpected turn of events.
At that moment… a wounded soldier struggled to ride up to them.
“L-Lord… big trouble.”
“What on earth happened? Where did you get those injuries?”
“Y-Your main force moved out, and then they were ambushed… The enemy has occupied our stronghold and is charging this way!”
“What… what did you just say? How can that be? Enemy forces appearing behind us! How could we have been clueless about that!”
Panic-stricken, Chris IV shouted urgently.
In response, his advisor stood with a face that looked like it had been hit with a hammer, trembling as he spoke.
“We… we were fooled. We’ve completely fallen for the enemy’s ploy.”
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“Think about it. The enemy created chaos within their own ranks, just to draw our eyes and the scouts’ attention away. They’ve been planning this from the start! To divert our gaze and provoke our complacency!”
“B-But… you said there’s discord among the enemy ranks! How could they have executed such a plan?”
“That was all a lie!”
“The situation is dire. We must find a way to escape!”
“How… how could this be… I, Chris IV, ending up like this…”
As Chris IV continued to look incredulous, his subordinates spoke firmly to him.
However…
Even though they had misjudged the situation and given wrong orders, their lord retained one useful trait in this crisis.
And that was…
“…Damn it. Since it has come to this, there’s no other option.”
“Excuse me?”
With a sudden voice of firm resolve, Chris IV spoke.
He then drew his sword and declared to his officers and troops.
“Since a normal retreat is impossible now, we shall charge straight into the enemy camp instead.”
“M-Lord!”
“The enemy is on their way toward our rear. If it’s certain death either way, then as a descendant of the great god Odir… the apprentice of High Mage Dorothy, isn’t it only right to take as many enemies with us as we can?”
“…Ugh…”
“That is indeed a noble thought.”
Chris IV’s forces found themselves in a precarious position due to the completely failed operation.
However… despite this, they still held deep-rooted pride as brave warriors of the North.
Even in the worst crisis, they possessed the courage to wield their weapons to the end.
While it could be described as reckless, that fundamental bravery served as a ray of light in this situation.
“Now! Let’s march! O great warriors of the North! Sweep away all the enemies before our eyes!”
“In the name of Odir!”
“In the name of Dorothy!”
Thus, with a spirit not of blind faith but of a resolute determination for victory, Chris IV’s army charged forth with everything they had toward the enemies in front of them.
This was the moment when General Tilly’s plan to exploit the enemy’s confusion faced a significant setback.
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